Control mechanism for airplanes



y 1936- B. MALINOWSKI ,0

. CONTROL MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES Filed May 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet! 1 invenioz; .54

y 1936. B. MALINO'WSOKI ,0

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES Filed May 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F 50 4 2/ a; 5/ I Y, 3/ ZTIIIIIII E I .35 3 59 55 5 3g .5 17 j j j] [g I: .50

11 1/ 4 J6 1/ 3 9% 2 I I 1g 55 40 ll 1 x I I .54 1; l A5 I 4 u ITMPenloz;

a z E M Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to airplanes but more particularly to certain newand useful improvements in the control mechanism therefor.

Its chief object is the provision of a reliable and efiicient control means which is so designed and constructed as to be capable of either manual or automatic operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a universal control mechanism for airplanes whereby the pilot may readily control from a common point the rudder, the elevators and the ailerons of the plane with a minimum of effort, in conjunction with means for automatically governing such controls to maintain the plane in alevel flight.

A further object is the provision of selective means for rendering the control mechanism manually or automatically operative.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an airplane, partly in section, showing my improved control mechanism applied thereto. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mechanism showing its connections to the rudder, elevators and ailerons.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on line 3-3, Figure 1. Figure 4 is a vertical section taken substantially in the plane of line 6-8, Figure 3. Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially in the plane of line 6-5, Figure 1. Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, similar to Figure 4, showing the aileron clutch control in its released position.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

By way of example, my invention is shown applied to a standard type of airplane wherein l0 indicates the fuselage; II the wings, l2 the rudder, l3 the elevators, M the ailerons, IS the propeller and I6 the pilot seat.

Stationed adjacent to the pilot seat is my improved stick or control mechanism which is so designed and constructed as to enable the operator to control the rudder, elevators and ailerons from 5 one common point. To this end, a self -contained, universally-mounted device is provided which is capable of .movement in various directions to accordingly actuate the respective control elements of the airplane. This device preferably consists of a hollow upright member I! positioned adjacent the operator's seat l6 and having transverse journals or trunnions l8 adjacent its lower end which engage corresponding bearings 19 fitted to brackets 20 suitably mounted on the floor of the fuselage l0, whereby this member is capable of rocking vertically lengthwise of the plane to and from the operator. Fixed on the trunnions I8 to rock therewith are arms 2| whose opposing 7 ends are connected by links or cables 22 with the elevators I3 to accordingly raise and lower the 5 elevators as the vertically swinging member I1 is shifted forwardly and backwardly, respectively. This movement of the vertically-swinging member may be conveniently effected by a hand wheel 23 disposed at the upper end of said member and 10 having a hand grip 24 applied thereto for effecting the fore and aft movement of such member. Carried by the vertically swinging member for bodily movement therewith, as well as rotary and oscillatory movement relative thereto, is the 15 means for controlling the rudder l2 and the ailerons M. This means comprises the hand wheel 23 secured to one end of a sectional shaft 25, 26, the section 26 being journaled in suitable bearings 21 formed in the front and rear walls of the member l1, while the companion wheel-bearing section 26 is pivoted at 28 to the opposing end of the shaft-section 25 and is capable of oscillating horizontally about said pivot 28 in a direction transversely of the fuselage. The pivoted shaftsection 26 is guided in its rocking movement in a horizontal groove or race-way 29 formed in a head-plate '30 secured to the upper end of the member l1, whereby this sectional shaft is capable of rotation for the purpose of actuating the rudder l2 and the section 26 thereof is capable of transverse oscillation to actuate the ailerons I4. The connections between the sectional shaft and the rudder consist of a pulley 3| fixed on the shaft-section 25 and a cable 32 looped around 35 said pulley and connected at its free ends to the rudder l2 in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2. The depending portions of this cable are directed and guided rearwardly toward the rudder by means of guide wheels or pulleys 33 disposed 40 substantially axially of the trunnions l8 and fitted in a block 34 positioned adjacent the lower end of the member I! and extending rearwardly through corresponding openings 35 formed in the rear wall of said member.

The connections between the oscillating shaftsection 26 and the ailerons consist of cables 36 extending from diametrically opposite sides of said shaft-section and secured to a head 31 carried thereby. These cables extend forwardly from 50 this head about a series of pulleys 38 suitably mounted in the head plate 30, then downwardly about pulleys 39 fitted in the top portion of the member I1 and in the block 34, and thence laterally outward through the journals 18 from which. 55

they are further guided on pulleys 40 to direct them to the ailerons l4. By'this construction, whenthe-hand wheel 23 is oscillated about the pivot 28 in one direction or theother in its race- 5 way 29, the

ated.

For the purpose of automatically maintaining the ,airplane ina substantially level state b i .bothlate'rally and horizontally, I preferably provide the lower end of the vertically-swinging stick 'l'l with'a. pendulum-like element which functions to maintain it in a pendant or upright position irrespective of the angular position of the. plane .while in flight and to. thereby autol5 matically govern the various control elements of the plane and maintain them in proper position for a level flight. This pendulum-like element is preferably composed of two laterally-swinging sections 4|, 42 fulcrumed on a horizontal pivot ailerons are correspondingly actu-Q 43 secured to the lower portion of the stick and I t housed within a cage or-protective enclosure, as

7 shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. One of the pendulum-sections is operatively connected to the rudder l2 and the companion section is operatively sconnected to the ailerons l4, and to this end the section 4| has a pulley 45 fixed thereon axially of its pivot 43 and extending around' the lower side o! the same is-a cable 45whose free ends '41 are 5 joinedto the corresponding rudder-connecting cable 32.,,.The companion pendulum-section 42 is" provided-axially of its pivot with af'sprocket wheel 48 about which the lower portion of a sprocket chain 49 passes, the upper portion thereof passing around a sprocket wheel 5Q fixed 3 on' a 'shiftable sleeve 5| slidingly supported on an arbor 52 mounted-on the stick IT. The sleeve 5| is shiitable axially into and out of clutching engagement with an alining sleeve 53 also mounted on the arbor and having sprockets 54, 54 there- "on with which sprocket chain elements 55, interposed in the aileron connected cables 35, en-

' gage. It will be noted in'Figuie 3'that-one of the aileron chain elements :side of itsico'mpanion sproc et,while the other chain element extends around the opposite side' of its'spr'ocket. The opposing ends of the sprocket-sleeve 5| and the adjoining sprocket-sleeve 53 have clutch-faces 56 thereon so that the; same.

serve also. as elements of a clutch for releasably sembly 48, 48 and withthe aileron-connected sprockets'54. Thependulum-sections or weighted arms 4|, 42 function jointly to maintain the stick I! in a substantially upright or neutral p0 sition for normal or level flight control, andfunction independently of eachotherin a later-f ally-swinging direction relative to the stick to,

. automatically maintain the ship on an even keel when the clutch 5,6 is engaged;

60 For the purpose of'shifting thefsleeve 5! into and out of clutching engagement with the companion sleeve 53 to couple the ailerons for automatic control bythe companion pendulum 42 and disconnect them therefrom for manual con- ,trol by the pilot, respectively, a clutch lever 5'! is employed which is pivoted. at 58 to the arbor 52 and connected by links '59 with the clutch sleeve 5|, as seenin Figures 4 and 6., Atits free end this clutch lever has-a springpressed, latch of a par of sockets 6| ,for latching the lever'in a givenposition of adjustment. A spring 52 in- By this constn iction, when automatic control sses around one coupling the weight-actuated transmission asmeans connecting the other of bolt or dog 50' adapted to engage one or the other of the airplane-is desired, the pilot shifts the clutchlever 5'! from released to engaged position shown in Figure 4 to transmit the lateral movement of the pendulum 42 to the aileron cables 38 through the medium of the transmis- 5 sionelements 48, 49, 50, 54 and 55; In conjunction with thisautomatic-aileron control, the com-' panion pendulum section 4 I, acts to automatically govern the rudder l2 through the medium of the connections 45, 46 to the rudder-cables 32. For 10 manual control, the clutch lever is shifted from the positionshown in Figure 4-to thatshown in Figure 6, thereby disconnecting the aileron-governing pendulum 42 and permitting the movement of the ailerons H from thehand wheel 23 of the control stick. Under manual control, the companion pendulum 4|, while'always connected with the ruddercontrols acts toassist in returning the rudder from an offset steering position to a normal straight position.

I claim as my invention:- a

1.' Acontrol assembly-for airplanes, comprise ing a vertically-swinging elevator. control meniber including pendant weighted means thereon for constantly urging it to a neutral upright position, said means consisting of a plurality of independent laterally-swinging elements and means for connecting said ele'men'tsto therud der and ailerons of the plane, respectively.

2. A control assembly for airplanes, comprising a vertically-swinging elevator control member including pendant weighted means thereon for constantly urging it to a neutral upright position, said means consisting of a plurality of independent laterally-swinging elements, and

- means for connecting said elements to the rudder and ailerons of :the plane, respectively, fo"r automatically actuating them in-response- 'to the swinging of such elements, one of said connecting means including a releasablecoupling 'for 0 disconn'ecting its weighted element .from it's plane-control part.

H 3. A control assembly ing a vertically-swinging for airplanes, compriselevator control member including pendant weighted means thereon fledelementsto its plane-control part for actu- 5 0 ating the same, and releasable transmission said, weighted elements to its plane-control;part.' v 4. A control assembly for airplanes, comprisinga vertically-swinging elevator control member including pendant weighted means thereon for constantly urging it to a neutral upright position, sald means consisting of a plurality of'independent laterally-swinging elements, means for permanently connecting one of said weighted ele- 6b entsto its plane-control part for actuating the same, releasable transmission the other of said weighted; eleme to its pl'anecontrol part, and a pilot-control for'governing, said transmission means. '65

5. A control assembly for airplanes, comprising a vertically-swinging elevator control member including pendant ,w'eighted means thereon for gconstantly urging it-to aneutral upright position, said means consisting or a"plu'rality of inde- 7'0 pendent laterally-swinging elements fulcrumed on. a common pivot and I-having flexible connections operatively connected to the rudder and ailerons of the plane, respectively, for automatically actuating such controls in response to the swinging movements of their companion swinging elements.

6. A control assembly for airplanes, comprising a vertically-swinging elevator control member including pendant weighted means thereon for constantly urging it to a neutral upright position, said means consisting of a plurality of independent laterally-swinging elements fulcrumed on a common pivot and having flexible connections operatively connected to the rudder and ailerons of the plane, respectively, for automatically actuating such controls in response to the swinging movements of their companion swinging elements, and clutch-controlled transmission means interposed in one of said operative connections for releasing the companion plane-control part from automatic actuation.

7 An airplane, comprising flight-control means including an elevator, a rudder and ailerons, a vertically-swinging, elevator-control member, a combined rotatable and laterally-shiitable member mounted thereon, connections between said vertically-swinging member and the elevator for actuating the same in response to its swinging movements, independent connections between said second-named member and the rudder and the ailerons for actuating them in response to its rotatable and laterally-shiftable movements, respectively, pendant weighted means applied to said elevator-control member for constantly urging it to a neutral upright position, said means consisting of a plurality of independent laterallyswinging elements, and operative connections between said elements and said rudder and ailerons, respectively, for automatically actuating them in response to the lateral swinging of such elements.

8. An airplane, comprising flight-control means including an elevator, a rudder and ailerons, a vertically-swinging, elevator-control member, a combined rotatable and laterally-shiftable member mounted thereon, connections between said vertically-swinging member and the elevator for actuating the same in response to its swinging movements, independent connections between said second-named member and the rudder and the ailerons for actuating them in response to its rotatable and laterally-shiftable movements, respectively, pendant weighted means applied to said elevator-control member for constantly urging it to a neutral upright position, said means consisting of a plurality of independent laterallyswinging elements, operative connections between said elements and said rudder and ailerons, respectively, for automatically actuating them in response to the lateral swinging of such elements,

and clutch-controlled means associated with the operative connection between the aileron and its pendant actuating element.

BOLESLAW MALINQWSH. 

